Police look for people in deadly argument over Mexican state

Feb. 16, 2011

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Surveillance photo taken from surveillance video of the suspects in the shooting of Esteban Navarette on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011 at a restaurant in the 1700 block of East McFadden in Santa Ana. COURTESY, SANTA ANA POLICE DEPARTMENT

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Surveillance photo taken from surveillance video of the suspects in the shooting of Esteban Navarette on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011 at a restaurant in the 1700 block of East McFadden in Santa Ana. COURTESY, SANTA ANA POLICE DEPARTMENT

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Surveillance photo taken from surveillance video of the suspects in the shooting of Esteban Navarette on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011 at a restaurant in the 1700 block of East McFadden in Santa Ana. COURTESY, SANTA ANA POLICE DEPARTMENT

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An argument between two groups of patrons at the Mariscos la Ola restaurant led to a shooting in the restaurant parking lot that left one man with a bullet in his head, According to Santa Ana police commander Larry Coleman. Victim Esteban Navarrete was declared brain dead Tuesday night after being the innocent victim of the shooting in Santa Ana. Police want witnesses to come forward. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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An argument that started at the Mariscos La Ola restaurant, 1714 East McFadden Avenue, in Santa Ana, ended with a shooting in the parking lot. A man with a head wound was transported to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. Esteban Navarrete was declared brain dead Tuesday night after being the innocent victim of the shooting. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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An argument that started at the Mariscos La Ola restaurant, 1714 East McFadden Avenue, in Santa Ana, ended with a shooting in the parking lot. A man with a head wound was transported to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. Esteban Navarrete was declared brain dead Tuesday night after being the innocent victim of the shooting. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Latex gloves were left at the scene of a shoot, just outside the front door of the Mariscos La Ola restaurant in Santa Ana. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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An argument that started at the Mariscos La Ola restaurant, 1714 East McFadden Avenue, in Santa Ana, ended with a shooting in the parking lot. A man with a head wound was transported to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. Esteban Navarrete was declared brain dead Tuesday night after being the innocent victim of the shooting. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A sign on the front door of the Mariscos La Ola states that Sunday night was band night. An argument between two groups of patrons at the Santa Ana restaurant led to a shooting in the parking lot that left one man with a bullet in his head. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Monday morning, a bullet hole remained in the window, lower right, of a Wienerschintzel restaurant across the parking lot from Mariscos de Ola. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Monday morning, a bullet hole remained in the window of a Wienerschintzel restaurant across the parking lot from Mariscos de Ola. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Surveillance photo taken from surveillance video of the suspects in the shooting of Esteban Navarette on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011 at a restaurant in the 1700 block of East McFadden in Santa Ana. COURTESY, SANTA ANA POLICE DEPARTMENT

Watch surveillance video of the suspects involved in the shooting:

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SANTA ANA – Police are hoping the release of surveillance video showing two groups of men fighting over which Mexican state is best will help them identify the shooter of an innocent man.

Navarrete and his party decided to leave before things escalated, but as Navarrete got into his car, two men approached him and one with a handgun aimed and fired several shots, police said.

Navarrete was struck in the head. His wife and friends were not injured.

The attackers ran to a waiting vehicle, described as a dark, possibly gray, SUV and drove away.

Police are trying to identify three men and a woman from the video. They are believed to be in their early 20s. One man was wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, another was wearing a blue baseball cap and a third man was wearing a white T-shirt. The woman was wearing dark clothing.

Anyone who witnessed the shooting or may have information about the case was urged to call homicide detectives at 714-245-8390.

This is the first homicide of the year in this city of 355,000 residents.

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